Welcome to the "Learning and Teaching English" blog.
This is the blog for the teacher training activities held at Córdoba CEP:
- "Learning and Teaching English Celebrations" (2011/12).
- "English Workshop: Developing and Activating skills in English"(2012/13)
In this blog the participants in the courses will collect and describe all the resources, strategies, lesson plans and experiences in their classroom related to English celebrations/skills.
ENJOY YOURSELF!! LEARN AND TEACH ENGLISH!!

Here's an interesting article about Interaction in Cities which I came across a few days ago. Did you know that Interaction between Strangers is a subject at university?

Although no linguistic implication is discussed, it seems to me that the ways we as "individuals" may choose to interact (or not) with strangers may also shape how we choose to activate our skills and use language in context.

Monday, 25 February 2013

Have you ever wanted to use some authentic writing in your classes but found it too time-consuming to look for (and read!) material, only to decide that it´s not useful / suitable for your class?
I´ve just been in this situation and found a really useful article on the British Council website, which talks about using "minifiction" or "flash fiction" in the classroom.

Personally, I think it´s another option for those of you who want to use some authentic texts in class, as the stories are short and need less preparation on the teacher´s part in terms of reading, extracting language, grammar points etc. AND....the students feel satisfied at having read something "real"!

Songs are a good resource to learn grammatical structures. There are many songs that repeat the same sentences, so it is easy for the children to recognise these structures. A good example is the song Moon Shadow, by Cat Stevens:

I'm being followed by a moon shadow

moon shadow-moon shadowleaping and hopping on a moon shadow

moon shadow-moon shadow

and if I ever lose my handslose my plough, lose my landoh, if I ever lose my handsoh, if...I won’t have to work no more

and if I ever lose my eyesIf my colours all run dryyes, if I ever lose my eyesoh if …I won't have to cry no more.

yes, I'm being followed by a moon shadowmoon shadow - moon shadowleaping and hopping on a moon shadowmoon shadow - moon shadow

and if I ever lose my legsI won't moan and I won't begof (oh)* if I ever lose my legsoh if...I won't have to walk no more

And if I ever lose my mouthall my teeth, north and southyes, if I ever lose my mouthoh if...

I won't have to talk...

Did it take long to find meI ask the faithful lightOoh did it take long to find meAnd are you going to stay the night

As we can see, in this song there is a repeated structure "If I ever lose..." so children can work with conditionals. After the first paragraph, we can miss the words "If I ever lose" and we ask the children to fill in the gaps. As it is repeated all the song, it won't be very difficult to them to recognise the words.

In this specific example we can also work with present continuous "I'm being followed" and future simple "I won't have to".

Sunday, 24 February 2013

I´ve really enjoyed reading about the way you are using some of the ideas we´ve been discussing in the Workshop! I am glad that your students are enjoying the activities. It´s great to have such responsive and responsible participants as yourselves...Thanks for sharing your ideas and experiences and keep posting!

Last week I had the opportunity to put into practice some of Neda's ideas and the results were very positive. Course: 4th ESO.

We worked with a song (Adele's "Someone like you"). As an icebreaker, I told them to listen to the song and write all the words they could understand. After that, they had to discuss what the song was about in groups of 3 with the help of the words.

Only some of the students had a clear idea of the meaning of the lyrics. So, I decided to give them all the lines of the song. The problem was that they were not in order. Their task was to put these lines in order and listen to the song again.

I think that this can be a motivating activity to introduce a grammar point or some vocabulary that is in a song. In this way, we can catch students' attention easily.

Friday, 22 February 2013

First of all I'd like to thank Neda and Pilar. Neda for her amazing workshop. I'm having a great time and learning a lot. And Pilar for organizing everything so well.

Juan after these compliments I would be recognised with 5 more hours than you.

Finally, my experience.

I've tried one of the ideas that Neda suggested. I had a Reading. A text in the book ( Interface 1º ESO ). It has a Listening. I told my SS to close their books and open their notebooks. I told them to write down every word or sentence that they hear. I played the text twice. First time the whole text. Second time making stops. Afterwords I asked them which words they've heard and to try to guess the topic of the Text. AMAZING !!!. TRY IT. Sole

Wednesday, 20 February 2013

I want to share with you another activity for third and fourth years. I propose a tongue-twister, a good way to improve pronunciation. Firstly, students will try to say some parts of the tongue-twister separately, in order to pronounce them correctly. In the end, they will try to say the tongue-twister as fast as possible, but also pronouncing it correctly, linking the words.

Another way to work with these tongue-twisters is separating the class in groups and make each group say one part of the tongue-twister.

Tuesday, 19 February 2013

In order to work with songs in a different way, I have already practised some very useful ideasand strategies provided by Neda in our weekly sessions. And I must admit that the result has been a complete success.

1)Work with the song “If I were a boy” by Beyonce. (Devote one session).

a)The students listen to the song and individually they write down on their notebooks ten words they can understand.

b)In groups of three, students share and exchange vocabulary and ideas, trying to guess the topic or plot of the song story. If possible for advanced students, they can also rewrite the parts of the song they get to understand.

c)Every group read their handouts to the rest of the class.

d)The teacher projects the lyrics and plays the song while the students check their notes.

e)Sing the song and enjoy it.

If I were a boyby BEYONCE

If I were a boy even just for a dayI'd roll out of bed in the morningAnd throw on what I wantedAnd go drink beer with the guys

And chase after girlsI'd kick it with who I wantedAnd I'd never get confronted for it'Cause they stick up for me

If I were a boyI think I could understandHow it feels to love a girlI swear I'd be a better man

I'd listen to her'Cause I know how it hurtsWhen you lose the one you wanted'Cause he's taking you for grantedAnd everything you had got destroyed

If I were a boyI would turn off my phoneTell everyone it's brokenSo they'd think that I was sleeping alone

I'd put myself firstAnd make the rules as I go'Cause I know that she'd be faithfulWaiting for me to come home, to come home

2)Write a composition about a topic that is related to the song. The composition steps are explained to the students in class ( devote one session ) and an example of a guided composition is written on the blackboard jointly in class. Use “brainstorm” and “mind maps” to elicit information and ideas from the students and teach them how to do it the same at home.

COMPOSITION TOPIC: Who would you be if you were a famous character from a novel

you have read?

POSSIBLE TITLE: If I were a different person, I would be…

(explain the use of “were” with the 1st person sg).

COMPOSITION CONTENT: The answers to the following questions may help you with your

composition:

-Why would you like to be that character? Describe him/her physically, his/her personality and

behaviour and give reasons for your choice.

-How would you behave?

-What would you do?

-How would your new life be?

COMPOSITION STRUCTURE:

-Your composition must have three paragraphs as a minimum:

-INTRODUCTION: very brief information about the plot of the book you have read and the

character chosen.

-COMPOSITION BODY: one or two paragraphs Cincluding,among many other ideas, those in the

previous step ( composition content ).

-CONCLUSION: Your opinion about the experience. Would you really like to be a different

Monday, 18 February 2013

In third and fourth years of primary education, for reading I use Macmillan Children's Readers books. Children have to read one book every trimester. They don't translate the whole book, they try to understand the idea of the story. They also have a vocabulary list they have to learn. With the CD provided in the book, they listen to the story and practice pronunciation. As they don't have to search every word in the dictionary, they are learning to understand the meaning of the sentence, and how they link words to know the meaning.

Saturday, 16 February 2013

Last Tuesday I developed a reading activity with my students in
the fourth course in primary education.

I used it to revise units 1, 2 and 3 and
this is what we did.

Pre
- reading

We played with the flashcards in order to
revise vocabulary.

While
- reading

I showed them eight pictures, and they had
to match them with their descriptions.

I started showing them four. Later, they
had to move around the class to read the texts.

They compared their solutions in pairs and
then in groups of four.

After that we did the same with the other
four pictures.

Post
- reading

In groups of four, I gave them one text
with gaps. They had to read it again without writing anything. Then in turns,
they had to say the answers.

Finally they copy the text in their
notebooks filling the gaps.

Each group correct the text using the white
blackboard.

Evaluation

The activity was pretty good but I had some
problems with technology, so we didn’t have time to do the post activity in
that way. I showed them the texts with the gaps on the white blackboard and
they said the answer orally.

They find the activity entertaining and
quite easy. Maybe I gave them too much information about the pictures.

Friday, 15 February 2013

I would like to share a link that perhaps is known by many of you but I think that it would be a good support to take into account for your listening sessions with your pupils.

The web is TED and you can use it in several ways.Yesterday was St. Valentine's day and the next link is a speech related to it.

I hope that you like it more than the 'boring' song that our beloved and admired Neda showed at the very beginning of the writing session.Sorry,but you told me off yesterday for leaving before the end of the session and I need the revenge.(Joke)

Thursday, 14 February 2013

Hello, my name is Elizabet and I am a teacher in the second course of primary education. This year, in my school, we have started applying the bilingual program, in the first course of primary education. During the following years, the next courses will progressively be part of this program.

Currently, I am not a teacher in the bilingual program, but, next year, I am probably being part of that part, teaching Music and Science.

As a music teacher, and when I start using this program, I will probably use the music to teach the notes, the instruments and many other important contents: rhythm, movement skills, etc. I think the use of music will be very useful, because the children will become part of the development of the class and they will be more motivated to participate in the class.

Sunday, 3 February 2013

( Dedicated to Inma , “meine Kollegen”, who inspiredthis activity)

I know that I shall meet my fate
Somewhere among the clouds above;
Those that I fight I do not hate,
Those that I guard I do not love;
My country is Kiltartan Cross,
My countrymen Kiltartan's poor,
No likely end could bring them loss
Or leave them happier than before.
Nor law, nor duty bade me fight,
Nor public men, nor cheering crowds,
A lonely impulse of delight
Drove to this tumult in the clouds;
I balanced all, brought all to mind,
The years to come seemed waste of breath,
A waste of breath the years behind
In balance with this life, this death.

By Keats

An Irish Airman Foresees His Death

Those
that I fight I do not hate,
I know that I shall meet my fate
In balance with this life, this death.

No
likely end could bring them loss
Somewhere among the clouds above;
A waste of breath the years behind
My country is Kiltartan Cross,
The years to come seemed waste of breath,

Drove
to this tumult in the clouds;

Those
that I guard I do not love;
I balanced all, brought all to mind,

“Von
ANACARMEN ROLDÁN PRIETO” ( let me know about results if any. If it doesn´t work
let me know why. If there are any particularly successful renditions or
activities,please share them. Thanks so much).

Saturday, 2 February 2013

As Saint Valentine's Day is
round the corner and Neda talked about the use of songs in our lessons in the
last session. Why don't we celebrate Saint Valentine's Day with a song? I've chosen Adele's Someone
Like You which is a hit, probably familiar to our students, as it was n. 1
on charts for several weeks. The activity is thought for
3rd or 4th year of ESO, but I'm sure you can adapt it to the level of your
students. As a PRE-LISTENING activity, I would recommend a mind map.
Just write LOVE in the middle of the blackboard and tell your students to say
any word related to it. They will probably come up with verbs (get married,
fall in love...); adjectives (jealous, divorced...) and nouns (passion,
lover...). You'll be surprised! As a WHILE LISTENING activity, you can use my hand-out (with answer key)
or create your own.

As a POST-LISTENING activity, you can use a set of questions to discuss,
for example: